Optical game devices



Jan. 17, 1956 R. w. SCHNElDER 2,731,265

OPTICAL GAME DEVICES Filed Sept. 17, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 17, 1956 R. w. SCHNEIDER OPTICAL GAME DEVICES r a v 0 m 6 Md r we a .Q/ w w 2 3 C m 3 3 W090 s if. 4 ,7 MW M e 7 u 2 5 2 a r Z 3 6; w 61K 4 7 (Y .lllPl R 9 0 7 9 7 3 ZMW w '3 3 MM a V a 7 n M m S w m ATTy,

United States Patent OPTICAL GAME Devices Robert W. Schneider, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application September 17, 1952, vSerial No. 309,986

4 Claims. (Cl. 273-1) This invention relates generally to optical game devices and is directed particularly to a type in which use is made of the stroboscopic effect in the play thereof.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide novel game devices to be used by two persons and employing two units, wherein one unit is used by one person as a chronize the rotation of the disk of the viewer device with i the rotation of the rotary element of the other or second device, for the purpose of deciphering a prescribed marking or object carried by the rotating element of the second unit.

Still another object of the invention is to provide in a game of the character stated wherein two separate units are eniployed and used by two persons Working together for the purpose above stated, hand operated means whereby each of the persons can control the rotation of the disk of his unit so that a contest of skill in the operation of the rotating elements or disks of the units can be had.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description of the same proceeds and the invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described since obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a view in side elevation of the two game units, showing the same in position one with respect to the other, for use.

Figure 2 is a view in front elevation of the viewed device showing one form of indicia or marking which may be carried by the rotating element to be deciphered by the viewer.

Figure 3 is a view in front elevation of the viewer device through which the player sights the rotating element of the viewed unit.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 55 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 66 of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 7-7 of Figure 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings the two units for playing the game comprise the viewer unit which is generally designated by the reference characterA and the viewed unit which is generally designated'by the reference character B.

Referring first to the viewer unit A it will be seen that this comprises an elongated gear box or-housing which is generally designated '10 and which comprises the front and back walls 12 and 14 respectively, the side walls 16, a top Wall 18 and a bottom wall 20.

The back wall 14 may be detachablysecured to thetop, bottomwa'nd side walls and at its lower end it carries the rearwardly or outwardly projecting finger flange 22.

The bottom of the front wall 12 carries a correspondingly formed forwardly extending flange 24 upon which a finger may be engaged in the use of the device.

The upper portion of the front side of the box or housing 10 has an opening 25 therein and positioned over this opening and secured to the box-1i is a circular disk housing which is generally designated 26. This disk housing 26 comprisesa back wall 27, the circular side wall 28 and the front wall 29 which is in the form of a circular cap or cover and has a surrounding flange 30 which engages around the wall 23 as shown.

As is also clearly shown in Figure 4, a portion of the disk housing projects above the top of the gear box 10 and the walls 27 and29 have formed therein the two aligned sight openings or windows 31 and 32 respectively.

The front wall or cover 2? of the disk housing has secured thereto a sight tube 33 which covers the opening 32 and is coaxial therewith, the forward end of the tube being flared as indicated at 34 to facilitate the placing of the eye of the user in position for sighting through the aligned openings 31 and 32 across the top end of the box it The bottom 29 of the gear boX has an upwardly extending guide sleeve 35 thereon which projects upwardly into the lower part of the box and opens through the bottom Wall 29 and slidably extended through this guide sleeve is a flat elongate actuating stem 36 whichhas secured to its upper end, within the box 10, the toothed rack 37.

The lower end of the stem is turned to provide the forwardly extending'thumb plate 38. 7

Within the gear box it? are two shafts 39 and 40 each of which has one end rotatably mounted in the wall 14, while the other ends are rotatably supported by the wall 25? of the disk housing, the upper shaft 40- extending through a hub '41 into the disk housing as shown. a

The lower shaft 39 has a large gear 42 and a pinion 43 and the rack 37 is connected with-the pinion as illustrated in Figure 6.

The gear $2 is secured to the shaft to turn therewith while the pinion 4-3 is adapted to be coupled with the shaft 39 by an over running clutch 44 of conventional design which is arranged so that whenthe rack 37 is forced upwardly the clutch will connect the pinion with the shaft to effect the rotation of the latter and the gear 42 and when the rack 37 moves downwardly the over running clutch 44 will release the pinionso that it can be reversely rotated without hindering the rotation of the shaft 39.

In order to bring the rack 37 and stem 36 back quickly to starting position a spring 45 may be connected between the rack and the lower part of the housing or with the guide collar 35 as shown.

The shaft '49 has secured thereto a pinion 46' which'is in mesh with the gear 42 to receive rotary motion therefrom and within the disk housing 29 the shaft 4i) bassecured thereon the viewing disk 47.

The disk 47 is provided with two sight windows 48 and 49 arid one of the windows, here shown as the window 49, i

is designed to be kept covered, when desired, so that use may be made of one window only except in cases where the device may be used for viewing rapidly rotating objects such as fan blades or airplane propeller blades whereupon the cover 59 which is pivotally attached to the disk 3 47, may be swung aside so that the two oppositely positioned windows 48 and 49 can be utilized.

In order to properly balance the disk and to give it proper weight for smooth and rapid rotation, a plurality of weight units 51 may be applied to the face of the disk as shown.

To facilitate holding the viewer unit A in position while sighting through'the tube 33, the circular or disk housing 26 may be provided with the laterally projecting hand1e'51' or any other suitable means by which one hand can hold the unitwhile' the other hand is employed for effecting reciprocation of the rack 37 which is accomplished by placing the index and second fingers upon the angle portions 22 and 24 and pressing upwardly with'the thumb against the thumb plate 38.

The viewed unit B comprises a housing which is gen-..

The bottom wall 65 carries the upwardly extending guide collar 68 through which is slidably extended an operating stem 69 which carries upon its upper end a toothed rack 70 corresponding to the rack 37.

Within the housing 60 and disposed between and supported by the walls 61 and 62 are the upper and lower shafts 71 and 72 respectively, the lower shaft supporting the gear 73 and a pinion 74. The rack 70 engages with the pinion 74 which is adapted to be operatively connected with the shaft 72 by an over running clutch, not shown, like the clutch 44, whereby upon reciprocation of the rack rotating motion can be transmitted to the gear 73 and the rack is permitted to return to its starting position under the retracting force of the spring 75. a

The shaft 71 carries, within the housing 60, a pinion 7 which meshes with the gear 73 and also supported upon the shaft 71 outside the housing and adjacent to the front wall 61, is a wheel 77 which is here shown as including a number of radial spokes 78 which support between them letters 79 forming words. The illustration of these letters and words is merely made to show suitable characters carried by the wheel 77 to be rotated when the rack 70 is reciprocated.

For the support of the viewed unit B a handle 80 is attached at a suitable position, here shown as being connected to the back wall 62, whereby the user of the unit can hold the latter by the handle 80 with the left hand,

While using the right hand to reciprocate the rack operating stem by placing the thumb upon the angularly ex tending thumb portion or thumb plate 81.

In the use of the present invention the two units may be used by two persons in a contest, wherein the person holding the viewed unit B operates the rack to turn the wheel 77 at any desired speed while the person holding the viewer unit A endeavors to rotate the disk 47 at'a corresponding speed while looking through the sight tube and through the apertures 31 and 32 with a view to bringing an aperture 48 of the disk in line between the windows 31 and 32 in synchronism with the characters carried by the wheel 77 so as to in efiect stop the wheel 77 to enable the viewer to determine what word or other object is being carried by the wheel 77.

It will be readily apparent that there may be provided a number of different wheels carrying objects to be viewed, which can be placed upon the shaft 71 at different times so that the person using the unit A will not know what characters are being displayed on the rotating wheel and it is also to be understood that the viewing unit may have lights attached to it for illuminating the viewed wheel if desired.

It will be seen from the foregoing that there is provided by the present invention a novel type of game which can be used in contests between two persons and which will afford considerable amusement and such toy may be made of metal, plastic, wood or any other suitable material and can be inexpensively produced and marketed.

I claim:

1. In a game of the character described, the combination of a hand supported sighting unit and a hand supported target unit, said sighting unit comprising a hollow cylindrical housing havinga pair of aligned apertures in its front and rear walls, a sighting tube projecting from the said front wall in axial alignment with said apertures, a rotatable disk within said housing having an aperture to move across the line of sight through said apertures'and the sighting tube, and means depending from within said housing for imparting rotational motion to said disk; said target unit comprising a hollow circular housing, a shaft journalled through the front and rear walls of said housing, a wheel mounted on the forward end of said shaft at the outer side of said front wall and having indicia on its front face, and means depending fromwithin said housing for imparting rotational motion to said wheel, said means of the two units to be manipulated by twoindivid uals simultaneously. 7 p

2. The game apparatus as defined in claim '1, with a plurality of weights mounted on the front face of said, diskin spaced relation about the axis thereof to lend balance to the disk for its rapid and smooth rotation during the' manipulation of said actuator.

3. In a game of the character described, the combination of a first unit and a second unit, said first unit comprising a hollow cylindrical housing having a pair ofaligned sight apertures in its front and rear walls posi-' tioned above its axial center, a sight tube projecting from the front wall in axial alignment with said apertures, a shaft journaled through the center of the rear wall, a disk mounted on said shaft within the housing and having a window to move across the line of sight through-said apertures and the sight tube, a hollow, vertically elongated, 4

housing offset from the rear wall and having the rear end of said shaft journaled therethrough, a gearing Within said housing for rotating said shaft, and a reciprocating actuator depending from the latter housing for imparting rotational motion to said gearing and shaft; said second unit comprising a hollow circular housing, a shaft journaled through the front and rear walls of the latter housing, a gearing within the latter housing for rotating said shaft, a

wheel mounted on the forward end of said shaft at theouter side of said front wall, said wheel having its front face provided with indicia to be viewed through said sight tube, apertures and window, of the first unit, and a reciprocating actuator depending through ,thebottom of said latter housing for imparting rotational motion to' the last named gearing and shaft.

4. The game apparatus as defined in claim 3, with the lower end portion of the gear enclosing housing of said units constituting a supporting hand grip, a countershaft carrying one of the elements of the gearing, a pinion mounted on said countershaft, an over-running clutch .co-

operative with said pinion to connect the same with the countershaft during the upward movement of the actuator, and a coil spring within the housing cooperative with said actuator to retract the same following each of the upward movements thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

